FPL launches website to attract businesses to Florida

January 29, 2013|By Miriam Valverde, Sun Sentinel

Florida Power & Light Co. launched a new website Tuesday, hoping it will attract new businesses to Florida by offering detailed data on consumer spending, available buildings and lots, labor force statistics and other information.

"As the largest electric utility and one of the largest companies in Florida, we believe we have a responsibility to help grow our state's economy and create jobs for our fellow Floridians," FPL president Eric Silagy said in a statement. "When Florida's economy grows, everyone wins."

The website, http://www.poweringflorida.com, includes a resource center exclusively for the state's economic development organizations. It outlines specific information on the communities they serve, highlighting their strengths and allowing organizations to search for businesses "best-suited" for their communities.

The new also site lists profiles of more than 18 million companies worldwide and of companies working with Florida.

"We are really pleased and grateful of FPL for doing this," said Ron Drew, spokesman for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. "Any kind of data we can get to help us compete with other states is a boost."

Electric companies in other states provide similar support to economic agencies, helping them grow and create jobs, he said.

"What FPL is setting up is moving us forward in that direction," Drew said.

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County will save staff time and about $10,000 a year by not having to pay for private research databases, said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the organization.

"That's a critical added benefit," Smallridge said.

Businesses interested in starting or expanding in Florida can also request temporary access to the databases available for the agencies.

Aside from the resource center, the website allows all users to use an interactive map to search available buildings or sites by entering the desired square footage or acres. Users can also search by business name or communities.

The site is a product of FPL's Office of Economic Development. It's the first time all that information is available in one site, according to Lynn Pitts, director of the economic development office.

"It's taken many months to build, but the benefits are limitless," Pitts said.